Members of Bethel FWB Church of Kinston are remembering their longtime pastor, the Rev. Archie Ratliff, this week after he passed away Monday morning at age 63.

Ratliff was Bethel’s senior pastor and had led the church for nearly 22 years. He was being treated for leukemia at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and had even had a bone marrow transplant, which was unsuccessful, Executive Pastor Chris Truett said Monday afternoon.

Bethel and a sister church, Temple FWB Church of Winterville, held community bone marrow drives in September.

“I’m very thankful to live in a community that is so solid in their support of prayer,” Ratliff told The Free Press at the time.

A service of remembrance will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in the church, and a committal service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in Pinelawn Memorial Park of Kinston. Rouse Funeral Home of La Grange is handling the arrangements.

“They are hurting,” Truett said of the congregation. “Only the Lord and time can heal that, and we’re trusting in the Lord — which we heard (Ratliff) preach about every Sunday.”

Truett was also Ratliff’s son-in-law; his wife Kim, Ratliff’s daughter, teaches at Bethel Christian Academy, which is part of the church’s ministry.

Ratliff was a native of Anderson, Ind., who came to Bethel in February of 1991.

In addition to his daughter and son-in-law, Ratliff is survived by his wife of 43 years, Portia, two more daughters and sons-in-law, a brother and sister-in-law and nine grandchildren — six of those grandchildren attend BCA and another daughter, Michelle Williams, teaches there.

“He was a great man, a Godly man and loved his lord, loved his family, loved his church and loved his community,” Truett said.

Bethel Christian Academy is an education ministry of the church, which serves more than 300 students from preschool to 12th grade.

On Monday, the pulpit Ratliff had preached from for so many Sundays was moved from the church sanctuary to the lobby. BCA students covered it with messages honoring Ratliff.

“You were the best preacher I ever had,” ninth-grader Holly Cannon wrote. “I miss you so much. And I know you’re better where you are.”

Cannon gathered around the pulpit with her classmates Jenna Price, Paige Dawson and Kenli Harrison.

They recalled a man who was always smiling, had high fives for the students and knew all their names.

Ratliff’s grandson, Easton Truett, also wrote a message to his “papa.”

“I wish you were here so I can see you preach again,” the child wrote. “Thank you for all you did in my life.”

Chris Truett spoke with students and faculty during an assembly Monday morning about Ratliff.

“It’s time for us to just live what he’s been teaching us for 22 years, and our faith and trust is in Jesus Christ,” he said later.

Johnny Isenberg II, who lives in a house on church property with his wife Claire and their three children, said Ratliff had supported his and his family’s efforts to become missionaries.

Isenberg spent his final two years of high school at BCA, and his wife grew up in the church and attended BCA. Ratliff officiated at their wedding in 1997 as well as their children’s dedications and the baptisms of their two oldest.

“He's been a mentor to me, a friend, a confidant,” Isenberg said. “I just looked to him as a role model for years.”

David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.